I Totally Get It

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Being a good co-blogger, I decided to try my hand at pine nuts even though I’m probably not eligible to win the Pine Nut Contest. (Quick – send your pine nut recipes to contests@endlesssimmer.com) But I figured this might finally motivate me to understand BS’ obsession. And, um, I kinda get it. Actually, I think I’m starting to become obsessed with them after the first usage.

Now this is a pretty simple salad, but somehow the combination of the nut and the creaminess of the avocado really contrasted perfectly. Oh, and a mention on avocados. So I’m a total whore – and get all this free stuff/dinners and then write about it. Totally playing into the hands of PR experts. But whatever, I’m new to this game.

Somehow the California Avocado Commission got ahold of my email and started hyping avocados (like I needed the nudge) in a pretty standard PR pitch. Encouraged by El, I told JillianPR about my struggle to find great avocados all the way on the East coast. She obliged. And I got a shipment of avocados. But of course — I was already away for the weekend (Julie’s wedding strikes again.) Luckily, I had them sent to my work. I hated reading a text message on my way to Jersey that said:

We got a package for you that says it contains perishable fruit…

But I’d like to thank JP for dealing with my incessant calls and the safe keeping of my avocados.

Avocado and Pine Nut Salad (the ES special, if you will)

Combine arugula, half of a diced avocado and toasted pine nuts (!). In a separate, small bowl vigorously whisk together fresh basil (thanks Anna), grainy dijon mustard, extra virgin, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss together. Enjoy the crunch of the nut. Who knew.

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8 comments

  • BS September 9, 2008  

    Oh I’m so happy! Pine nuts and avocado together at last. what a great day.

  • JoeHoya September 9, 2008  

    “Somehow the California Avocado Commission got ahold of my email…”

    Could it possibly have something to do with the four pages’ worth of posts tagged with “avocado” that you guys have put up over the past 15 months?

    This salad sounds delicious – have you thought about adding a citrus component so the acid balances out the richness of the fats in the pine nuts and the avocado?

    Blood oranges would work really well, but a tangerine or a clementine might also add something. A sweeter grapefruit could be good, too.

  • gansie September 9, 2008  

    JH–thanks for the suggestions but i’m not hugely into mixing berries/oranges/stone fruit in my salad. although, blood oranges are delicious.

  • Maidelitala September 9, 2008  

    eh, not such a huge fan of the pinenut. I do toast my own raw cashews and peanuts, but the pine nut is kinda “blah.” It kinda reminds me of the de-shelled sunflower seed except greasier and bubblier (I love sunflower seeds with the shells on – and don’t give me any of that BS about having to spit out the shell once you chew up all the salty goodness! What a waste of good fiber!). It’s a distraction. I don’t hate them, I’m just not thrilled to find them lurking in my food.

  • Alex September 9, 2008  

    I, on the other hand, am usually thrilled to find them lurking in my salad. This could have something to do with my not really liking salad and really liking nuts. It could also have something to do with BS’s contagious enthusiasm for these particular nuts, which is, as aforementioned, contagious. I’m just bopping along, eating my salad like a good vegetarian, and then WHOA! THERE’S A PINE NUT! AWESOME! It’s like when you crush up a pill and put it in delicious juice for a kid to drink so they won’t know it’s there, except opposite. Maybe I should start crushing up my lettuce and hide it in my pine nuts instead of hiding my pine nuts under my lettuce. Hm.

  • DAD GANSIE September 10, 2008  

    gansie has introduced me avocados..(.which i like sauteed w/ evvo,onion,garlic, mushrooms with ff feta on the available bread)
    but she never made it with pine nuts…yet

  • BS September 10, 2008  

    woah! I am trying that spread thing (with pine nuts) ASAP

  • dobby September 11, 2008  

    Oh god pinenuts! I adore them… but where I am (New Zealand) they cost like seven bucks for a small handful for some reason!

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